Radio Control Info Articles

Operating Temperature

There are several reasons equipment may heat up, causing a high operating temperature. if this is the case here are possible causes. Too hot – greater than 140F/60C. Many times there may be more than one reason for over heated equipment. In this case choose the most logical fix.

Motor – High Operating Temperature

Possible Causes
– Binding within the shaft. When the motor is disconnected, rotating the prop shaft should be done effortlessly
– Too much prop diameter or pitch
– Too long of a run time

ESC – High Operating Temperature

Possible Causes
– ESC not properly matched to motor – exceeding continuous current limit. A larger rated ESC is needed
– Too much run time

Cells – High Operating Temperature

– Drawing too much current from the cells. Increase capacity or C rating. Only use a maximum of 80% of the calculated max discharge rate
– Too long of a run time. Be certain to not dump the packs or hit the Low Voltage Cutoff

If all components are running less than 60C or 140F, your setup is sufficient.

Many choose to use a Data Logging device to record what the system is using in terms of power. Features of this unit include graphically seeing the amount of current that is being pulling during constant throttle while the boat is near maximum speed. It can also be noted the peak current pulls that happen during acceleration of the boat. Although these are higher and sometimes significantly higher, these peaks only last for a few short seconds. Some logging units will hold these values in memory as a peak current and may miss-lead you when you view that your system is pulling a significant amount more than it actually is.